Trust me, there were not many players on display who we should even be considering as additions to our squad. It was a good game though :D

The 2 likely contenders for the attention of our (and the other scouts I saw there) would be Onandi Lowe (Rushden) and Kevin Townson (Dale).

Lowe is a 6'+ donkey in the Dele Adebola mould, with a poor first touch but pretty good close control. He throws his weight around and got away with murder against the Rochdale no.5 today. He played like he was the only man on the team, and wasted plenty of chances to play the ball quickly on to better placed teammates. He has scored 20-odd goals this season I am told however.

Townson came on in the 2nd half. Totally diferent player, 5'6-ish and in dire need of a few half time pies too ! He is very quick, with good control and touch and uses the ball well. He has effortless acceleration over a short distance - he doesn't seem to run any quicker, but you suddenly see him 2 or 3 yards past his man. Pretty rubbish in the air (no shock there then) but a nifty player. Rochdale's leading scorer this season, with 19 or 20 I think - could be wrong on the figure.

Please, if there is a God let it be Townson we're looking at. If you Ade bashers thought he was a carthorse Onandi Lowe is a 3-toed Sloth in comparison. Akinbiyi IS the "power" forward we need to compliment the skills of our smaller forwards. Kevin Townson would be a great cover for Dougie in my book.

Please let there be a God. Please TF, don't say that Onandi Lowe is atop your shopping list. If you want another bruiser, the Rochdale no 18 McElvelly looked a right handful up front, beat 4 defenders on a 30 yard run and then buried a shot from 15 yards and worked well as a team player.

Onandi Lowe = :moo:

Just thought I'd sit on the fence as usual :D

Benzhiyi

28-04-2002, 04:04 AM

Lowe is a decent player, and has been capped a few times by Jamaica. Only thing is, he spent a season (I think!) at Port Vale last year or the year befor and did very little of note. But then again Mr Freedman never did much at Wolves or Forest........

Steve in Phoenix

28-04-2002, 04:16 AM

Kevin Townson was attracting a lot of interest a few months ago.. I think the Adder was reporting him as a possible target but nothing actually happened.

Originally posted by Benzhiyi
Lowe is a decent player, and has been capped a few times by Jamaica. Only thing is, he spent a season (I think!) at Port Vale last year or the year befor and did very little of note. But then again Mr Freedman never did much at Wolves or Forest........

Is this the same Lowe who spent a large part of last summer in the MLS? He is strong with a good shot, but, he IMHO in no better than Ricardo Fuller...if, even that good.

Walrus

28-04-2002, 04:19 AM

Originally posted by Benzhiyi
Lowe is a decent player, and has been capped a few times by Jamaica. Only thing is, he spent a season (I think!) at Port Vale last year or the year befor and did very little of note. But then again Mr Freedman never did much at Wolves or Forest........

That would explain his "I'm an international and I'm surrounded by incompetents" attitude on display today then.

Theo Whitmore and Ian Goodison are also long standing Jamaican internationals (both being released by Hull City this summer) and are clearly good players in Division 3. Maybe Lowe has found a level he can shine at ?

Compared with many Leagues around the world (and some parts of Europe) Division 1 is a pretty high standard.

Walrus

28-04-2002, 04:20 AM

Originally posted by AJ

Is this the same Lowe who spent a large part of last summer in the MLS? He is strong with a good shot, but, he IMHO in no better than Ricardo Fuller...if, even that good.

think so AJ. His previous club is listed as Kansas City Wizards.

AJ

28-04-2002, 05:00 PM

Originally posted by Walrus

think so AJ. His previous club is listed as Kansas City Wizards.

It I remember correctly, Lowe was one of the better strikers in the MLS, which sadly doesn't say much for the MLS:eek:

Holmesdale Boy

28-04-2002, 08:28 PM

Towsen would not be a bad buy who could prove a very valuble and great invesment in the future if bought though right.

PalaceFan in Alabama

28-04-2002, 08:48 PM

Originally posted by AJ
It I remember correctly, Lowe was one of the better strikers in the MLS, which sadly doesn't say much for the MLS:eek:

A dead parrot is one of the better strikers in the MLS :eek:

Steve in Phoenix

28-04-2002, 08:57 PM

Stern John was one of the better strikers in the MLS :eek:

Flying Higher

28-04-2002, 09:00 PM

But are they better than Bournmouth's Fenney or Elliot?

Jimbo ?

29-04-2002, 12:45 AM

while i am all for getting young and lower league players - i would have thought we would have heard of them before now if they were really good enough to be potential premier players

Ruskin Old Boy

29-04-2002, 02:10 PM

Part of a report on the match:

"The powderkeg nature of the play-offs produced an enthralling 90 minutes of football and the most ugly of confrontations after the match.
Several supporters burst out of a bar next to the players' exit and threatened the departing Rochdale team, with visiting goalscorer Lee McEvilly appearing to be grabbed by the throat. A number of fans made it on to the Rochdale bus and Northamptonshire police confirmed yesterday that six people were arrested. At one stage more supporters streamed out of the bar and some of the Rochdale players prepared to protect McEvilly.

But for the intervention of a solitary security steward and the timely arrival of the first of 25 police officers, there would have been a major incident. Rochdale's goalkeeper Neil Edwards said: "I was chatting to my parents just outside the ground when the fans charged up and one grabbed Lee by the throat - I've never known anything like it."

Closed circuit television footage of the incident has been handed to the police.

The scenes marred a terrific game in which three of the four goals were outstanding and Onandi Lowe, Rushden's Jamaican international and scorer of 19 goals in 25 games, was the pick of the players. "

Fascinating stuff...makes Millwall look quite tame....

g23

29-04-2002, 06:16 PM

Originally posted by Steve in Phoenix
Stern John was one of the better strikers in the MLS :eek:

And would have been a decent late-season buy for us...

brighton_eagle

29-04-2002, 06:21 PM

Originally posted by g23

And would have been a decent late-season buy for us...

All that time in MLS seemed to have confused him. He looked like he wanted to play basketball when they came to Selhurst the other week.

Selhurst300

29-04-2002, 08:42 PM

Originally posted by AJ

Is this the same Lowe who spent a large part of last summer in the MLS? He is strong with a good shot, but, he IMHO in no better than Ricardo Fuller...if, even that good.

Saw R&D at Easter and commented then that Lowe reminded me of Ricardo Fuller. Would not recommend him for Div One.

Eagle Kneevil

29-04-2002, 08:49 PM

Do any of her American posters or MLS afficionados know much about a guy called Landon Donovan? US colleagues say he's the only local worth having out of the league that isn't already in Europe. I'm intrigued.

Benzhiyi

30-04-2002, 03:58 AM

Originally posted by Eagle Kneevil
Do any of her American posters or MLS afficionados know much about a guy called Landon Donovan? US colleagues say he's the only local worth having out of the league that isn't already in Europe. I'm intrigued.

The guy is absolute ******** quality. Mark my words, he will be the States' best player at the World Cup. If there was any chance of us signing him Trevor should be on a plane over there tomorrow morning!

What?

30-04-2002, 04:26 AM

Lets get this American guy, Jason Donavon!

Beanie

30-04-2002, 05:06 PM

I thought Landon Donovan played in the German Bundesliga. Am I wrong?

Neil the Eagle

02-05-2002, 05:01 PM

Last season Onandi Lowe was due to have a trial at Palace, but he dislocated his collar bone and the trial never happened. He eventually turned up at Port Vale.

He played in the 98 World Cup for the ReggaeBoyz and was something of a nutter, I seem to remember. And a not very skilful one at that.

Steve in Phoenix

05-05-2002, 03:28 PM

Originally posted by Beanie
I thought Landon Donovan played in the German Bundesliga.

Yup - Bayer Leverkusen own Donovan's rights. They loaned him back to the MLS which is why he's playing there now.